


Custos Novem

by Interstella



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Child Abuse, Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 15:28:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21656422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Interstella/pseuds/Interstella
Summary: After coming out to his mother, Prompto is suffering from the resulting injuries. He tells Noct that he can't meet him at the arcade like planned because he's sick. He was expecting to be allowed to spend the next few days recovering in his room.What he wasn't expecting, was for Ignis to show up at his door with a container of soup.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 116





	Custos Novem

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheRougeRogue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRougeRogue/gifts).

> TW: Child abuse.

_ ‘ _ ** _I refuse to believe that any son of mine is _ ** **queer** _ .’ _   
  
‘ ** _I’ll just have to beat it out of you. Than you’ll see. You’re wrong!_ ** _ ’ _   
  
Pain. All he could feel was pain. His chest burned with every breath, and his head was pounding. At least he’d managed to get the bleeding to stop. Still, his stomach was tender, and there was an ugly purple bruise blooming. All he wanted to do was hide in his room and lick his wounds, but he was supposed to be meeting Noct at the arcade in an hour.    
  
One look in the mirror told him that he was absolutely  _ not _ going outside for at least a week. Definitely not. His left eye was swollen shut and there was a lovely bruise on his cheek. His lip was split and- yep. No way he could let Noct see him like this. That would lead to too many questions that he was  _ not _ going to answer.    
  
So instead, with a lot of effort and regret, he reached for his phone to send the prince a message.    
  
“ _ Sorry bro. Come down with something. Not gonna make it today :(.” _ _   
_ _   
_ It only took two minutes for a reply to come through and Prompto nervously clicked on it. He hated that he couldn’t go out with Noct today, that it would be days, if not  _ weeks _ before he could be seen by him again. It was the summer holidays, they were supposed to have  _ more _ time to hang out.    
  
_ ‘Sux 2 be u. Get well soon. Givs me a chance 2 beet ur score.’ _   
  
Prompto smiled softly and let out a soft sigh. Then a grimace of pain as he realized just how  _ much _ his chest burned with every movement. He took a handful of painkillers and stumbled to his room, hoping that things would feel better when he woke up.    
  
\-- -- -- -- --    
  
The next thing Prompto was ware of, there was a polite knocking at his door. It took him a moment to realize what it was since it was such an uncommon thing for him to hear in his house. Even solicitors hadn’t been by in  _ years _ .    
  
When the knocking sounded again, he peeled himself out of his sweat soaked bed and stumbled his way down to the front door, leaning heavily on the wall for support. So much for feeling better after a sleep.    
  
His whole body felt like it was freezing and on fire at the same time. His chest was a constant ache with lightning bolts of pain shooting through him. His stomach felt weirdly warm and his head wouldn’t stop spinning. Maybe he was a little more hurt than he thought.    
  
He didn’t think about how he looked when he opened the door, but really, he should have. He was just moving on autopilot at this point - someone was knocking on his door, so he should answer.    
  
He was expecting to see someone trying to sell him something, or trying to convert him to whatever religion was all the rage these days, but instead he opened the door to a very irritated looking Ignis Scientia.    
  
They were both in a state of shock, blinking at each other for a few long moments before anybody moved. Ignis had a tupperware container in his hand, obviously containing some sort of soup. Noct probably sent him.   
  
The thought of his best friend doing something as sweet and thoughtful as sending him soup when he wasn’t feeling well made a different kind of warmth settle in Prompto’s stomach. Or at least, that’s what he thought it was, until the bile began to grow.    
  
Without enough time to make it to the bathroom, Prompto found himself leaning over sideways and emptying his stomach on the ground beside his doorstep. The pain was intense, the burning and aching bad enough to make his vision go dark for a moment, but the vomit wouldn’t stop. And even when it did, the heaving  _ didn’t _ .    
  
“I assure you, the soup isn’t  _ that _ bad.” Ignis said dryly, moving the container to one hand in order to reach out with the other to gently rub Prompto’s back. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”   
  
Once Prompto stopped dry heaving, Ignis began to assist him, lifting Prompto’s arm to put it around his shoulder.   
  
The sudden pain in his chest made Prompto cry out and double over, vision going dark again. He was able to see the look of concerned confusion on Ignis’ face before he slumped against him, darkness taking over his every sense.    
  
\-- -- -- --    
  
This time, when he awoke, he didn’t feel  _ nearly _ as bad. In fact, he felt kind of numb, and definitely on some sort of drug. His brain was spinning in a nice way and his chest was only mildly painful.    
  
Now if only that stupid beeping would stop so he could go back to sleep. It was just too repetitive and just a  _ little _ too loud to be ignored. With a soft, irritated, sigh, Prompto opened his eyes.    
  
He was in a hospital.    
  
That would explain why he felt so much better. They probably had him on the good stuff.    
  
He was in  _ hospital _ .    
  
Panic set in, his heart rate rising and his breath coming in short, painful gasps. The adrenaline was already starting to flow and was probably going to end up interfering with the medication the nice doctors had given him. But that didn’t matter, not right now, and it wouldn’t even matter when the pain came back fully. What mattered was that he was  _ in hospital _ . That shouldn’t have happened. He shouldn’t be here. If he was in a hospital, people were going to have  _ questions _ . Questions he couldn’t answer without generating more. Answers that would cause him more trouble, and trouble for his parents which meant  _ more _ trouble for him, and then they’d find out where he was from and they would deport him and he would have  _ nothing _ and he would never see Noct again-   
  
“Prompto!” Ignis was by his side, a concerned look on his face as he placed a hand on either of his shoulders. “Prompto, you must calm down.”    
  
Prompto shook his head. No, he didn’t have to calm down, he very much  _ should _ be panicking. And Ignis didn’t know that, he  _ couldn’t _ know that, because if he did, then he would know  _ why _ and then there would be a world of problems. Problems that Prompto didn’t need now.    
  
“Prompto, please calm down.” Ignis sounded somewhat desperate now, enough that Prompto turned to look at him. The man was wearing an expression of concern and worry, and it broke Prompto’s heart. He tried to take a deep breath, following Ignis’ advice as he talked him through it, and eventually he was calm enough to breathe with only a little pain.    
  
“There we are.” Ignis said approvingly, leaning away from where he had been pressing his hand against Prompto’s chest. “You’re safe here, Prompto.”    
  
Prompto shook his head, tears still leaking from his eyes, but this time it wasn’t from the panic attack. “No.” He sobbed, “Mom- mom’ll be mad.” The thought made him want to curl in on himself but both the pain and the wires attached to him stopped him.    
  
“You don’t have to worry about the cost.” Ignis tried to soothe Prompto, but that was a  _ different _ problem, one that he hadn’t even  _ thought  _ about.    
  
He shook his head before he could stop himself, denying the fact that that was the problem, and Ignis was quick enough to pick up on it.    
  
“Prompto…” He spoke quietly, carefully, “Who did this to you?” He asked the question that Prompto never wanted to be asked, never wanted to hear. He didn’t have an answer, not one that Ignis would believe, anyway. So he just kept his mouth shut and turned his head away, not wanting to say it.    
  
“Prompto.” Ignis’ hand was on his shoulder, warm and comforting, “Did your mother do this to you?” His question was said with such kindness, such understanding and care that Prompto couldn’t help but nod slowly.    
  
Maybe then, Ignis would understand why Prompto couldn’t be in the hospital, why he couldn’t be somewhere where they would ask so many questions. He would understand why Prompto needed to go  _ home _ and have all his records expunged from the system.    
  
He turned his head and opened his mouth, intending on saying as much, but Ignis beat him to it.    
  
“You’re safe now.” The advisor insisted. “I promise you, she won’t hurt you because of this.”    
  
Those words were supposed to be comforting, but they had the opposite effect on Prompto. Instead of being soothed or feeling safe, he was hit with another wall of panic. “No!” he called out, his hands quickly reaching for Ignis. “P-please, you-you can’t tell anyone! Please-” He sobbed, words coming out sloppy and all at once. “Please.”   
  
Ignis sighed, a look of confliction on his face. He gently placed his hands over Prompto’s, squeezing them slightly. “I’m sorry, Prompto.” He said quietly, “I have to. But I can assure you that you  _ will _ be safe. On my honour as Crownsguard and a member of the Royal Court, you have my word. I will protect you and ensure that you are kept safe from all that wish you harm.”    
  
And with that, and another small smile, Ignis stood and left.    
  
Prompto didn’t see Ignis for a long while after that. The hospital room didn’t have a clock, and apparently Prompto’s phone had been left at his home, so he had no way to track time except for the movement of the sun and his ever increasing boredom.    
  
His stay wasn’t completely solitary, however, there were nurses that came and went. Some checked his drip, some asked him questions about his pain level, and some took his vials and things. All of them spoke to him gently, but none mentioned  _ why _ he was there.    
  
It wasn’t until the sun was low in the sky that Ignis returned. He had a briefcase with him and when he sat down, it was in a formal way that Prompto had only ever seen him do with Noct, when there were matters of the crown to attend to.    
  
“I know that you don’t want to talk about this,” the advisor began, and Prompto felt a cold dred creep into his stomach.    
  
Ignis was right. He  _ didn’t _ want to talk about this. He didn’t want to talk about  _ any  _ of this. But he knew that he couldn’t deny Ignis, not now. Apparently the man was paying for his medical bills, so he deserved an awkward conversation right, no matter how painful it would get.    
  
“I’ve arranged for a social worker to come and speak with you. She’s outside, but I asked for a moment first.” He grabbed the small table and wheeled it closer, opening the briefcase and placing a few pages from it on the table. “I can stay here, if you want me to, or I can go. That’s entirely up to you, and you can change your mind at any time. But we need to know some things.”    
  
Numbly, Prompto nodded, hoping beyond hope that his mother wouldn’t find out about this conversation.    
  
“My mom won’t be in trouble, right?” He asked, surprised at how small his own voice sounded.    
  
Ignis hesitated for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. “She hurt you, Prompto.” He said quietly, an edge of anger in his voice that Prompto couldn’t help but shrink back from. “She can’t be allowed to get away with it, and more importantly, she can’t be allowed to do it again.”    
  
“It’s okay. Really!” Prompto spoke quickly, wanting everything to just  _ stop _ and for things to be okay again. He wanted Ignis to go away and forget about this. He was fine, really. Or at least, he would be. He always was in the past.    
  
“No, it’s not.” Ignis spoke with steel in his voice and a stern look on his face. “No child should ever be afraid of their parent. She was supposed to  _ care _ for you.”    
  
“She does!” Prompto tried to protest, even knowing that it was a complete lie and that Ignis wouldn’t believe him. “I’ll be fine. I always heal quick. And I know what not to do again!”    
  
Although, he wasn’t even sure how he  _ could _ do this particular thing again. It wasn’t something that could be repeated, which meant that it was going to be fine, that she wouldn’t get upset with him for it again.    
  
Even Prompto knew that was a lie.    
  
“Prompto, any parent that hurts their child cannot claim to care for them.” Ignis scolded and Prompto shrank back. The advisor seemed to understand that he’d sounded angry at the wrong person and he took a deep breath, calming himself down. “Prompto,” He spoke again in a quiet voice. “Whether you believe it or not,  _ I _ care for you, and all I wish to do is protect you and keep you safe.”    
  
“If you bring that social worker in here, I wont say  _ anything _ .” He warned, “I will sit here, and I will be silent and I won’t say anything.”    
  
He refused to get his mother into trouble with the authorities. He could understand why Ignis wanted him to, why the man would want to report child abuse, but he didn’t know all the details. If he did, there was no way that he would help him.    
  
The code on his wrist burned, reminding him what he had to lose. His mother had always warned him that if he went to the police, she would tell them everything. That he would be found out, that everyone would know that he came from Niflheim. He would probably be deported, and  _ worse _ , he probably wouldn’t be allowed to be within a hundred feet of Noct.   
  
There was no way that he would let that happen. No way that he would have to leave his best friend, his  _ only _ friend, because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut.    
  
The look Ignis gave Prompto was one of vast disapproval. “I’m trying to  _ help _ you Prompto!”    
  
“I know! But you can’t! Okay? You can't. Nobody can. I appreciate you helping me with my medical bills, and I promise that I’ll find a way to pay you back the money, but I just really want to go home now.” He felt himself tear up, and he knew that he was only minutes away from a full meltdown. “I just want to go home.”    
  
“Prompto…” Ignis sighed softly, fingers going under his glasses to rub at the bridge of his nose. “I cannot in good conscience leave you with an abusive parent. I  _ can _ report this without your help, and I will if I need to.”   
  
“And I will  _ never _ forgive you.” Prompto glared at Ignis as best he could. He was trembling in fear and he  _ really _ just wanted to be left alone.    
  
Ignis looked at him for the longest time, his eyes searching. He could tell that Prompto wasn’t telling him everything, but didn’t ask. Instead, he looked down at the papers on the table, brow furrowing in a way that told Prompto that Ignis was thinking.    
  
“Perhaps… a compromise.” He suggested slowly, obviously still thinking. “I will speak to your mother  _ unofficially _ -” He added quickly, before Prompto could interrupt, “And come to an agreement.”    
  
Prompto had no idea what that meant. He didn’t know where Ignis was going with this, but he  _ did _ know that his mother wouldn’t go for  _ anything _ Ignis suggests, and would quite happily take out any of her displeasure on him when she next came to Insomnia. He also knew that she would follow through with her threat, and Prompto couldn’t let that happen.    
  
He just couldn’t.    
  
“Please. Please don’t.” Prompto couldn’t hold the sobs back anymore. He couldn’t stop the trembling or the way that he shrank back. “Please.” he was begging now, he knew, but he had little other choice. Here he was, barely able to move, pleading with a man who thought he was saving him.    
  
“Don’t worry Prompto.” Ignis was trying to be reassuring again, but it wasn't working. All Prompto could think was that Noct was going to hate him when everything came to light.    
  
The advisor stood, taking a moment to gently rest his hand on Prompto’s shoulder before leaving Prompto to his anxieties.    
  
\-- -- -- --    
  
Prompto didn’t see or hear from Ignis for the next day. It wasn’t until the sun was setting on his second day in hospital that Ignis returned.    
  
“I have made some arrangements.” Ignis spoke formally as he sat beside Prompto. “All I need is for you to sign a few things.” Again, he pulled out a briefcase and placed some papers on the table. “Your mother has  _ agreed _ to transfer all parental rights to me, in exchange for not going to the authorities. If you sign these papers, it will mean that she no longer has any rights towards you, and I will be named your legal guardian.”   
  
That was far from what Prompto was expecting. He stared at Ignis for a long moment, wishing that he didn’t have as many painkillers in his system so he could make better sense of what Ignis was saying.    
  
“What?” He asked, blinking dumbly at Ignis.    
  
“She has also agreed that it would be best for everyone if she never returns to the Crown City.” Ignis continued as if Prompto hadn’t spoken. “She has, however, agreed that until you turn eighteen and are either in university or have a job, she will continue to pay for the rent on your apartment. As you are sixteen, you are legally allowed to live away from your guardian.” He gave Prompto a small smile, “This means that most things will not change for you. Aside from no longer having visits from your mother, and having to come to me for anything you would need a guardian for.”    
  
“You… you’re  _ adopting _ me?” Prompto asked, more than a little confused.    
  
“In a manner of speaking.” Ignis pushed the papers towards Prompto, “But  _ only _ if you agree.” He assured Prompto. “This is the best that I could do without going to the authorities.” He told Prompto. “I will leave this paperwork with you to read over, but please don’t sign anything until you have read through it completely. I would also appreciate you waiting to make your decision until you are no longer on painkillers.”    
  
Prompto nodded, still trying to process what was happening. Ignis was… His mother wouldn’t… He stared at the papers for a little too long, his drug addled brain unable to comprehend everything at the moment. “Okay.” He agreed, deciding that it wouldn’t be too much trouble to read over the paperwork at least.    
  
After his second read through, Prompto signed the papers. Two days later he was released from the hospital, and a week after that, everything went back to normal.    
  
Almost normal. Prompto found himself slowly coming to terms with his new reality, and slowly relaxing knowing that his mother was never going to hurt him again.    
  
He would never have to worry about her again.


End file.
